Barbara Allan
Director of Learning and Teaching at the University of Hull Business School


Barbara enthusiastically supports women's management development through a range of innovative initiatives. The successful EMPATHY Net-Works project encouraged women to enter the logistics and supply chain industries through a taught programme and also e-mentoring by experienced women managers. In the past ten years, she has been involved in a wide range of national and regional e-learning and e-mentoring initiatives including EMPATHY and EMPATHY-EDGE. Barbara led the Women into Social Enterprise project during 2000-2002. Barbara has written a number of publications including books on blended learning, virtual learning communities, e-learning and project management.

Dorothea Carvalho
Director of Professional Development at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK - CILT(UK).

Dorothea has worked extensively with companies in the UK and overseas developing training and qualification programmes which meet the needs of individuals, industry and the profession. Whilst focusing on current business needs, she believes that training and development must look at equipping people with the right skills for today and for tomorrow.

Hilary Devey
Founder, Chairman and CEO, The Pall-Ex Group of Companies

Hilary gained a wealth of experience in the distribution sector, having worked first at Littlewood’s distribution, then Tibbett and Britten, and Scorpio (part of the United Carrier network). She then spent seven years in the retail distribution sector at TNT, before leaving to start her own business.

Today, as Chairman and CEO of the UK’s most successful palletised freight distribution network, in a male dominated industry sector, Hilary Devey is an outstanding role model for female entrepreneurs. Having driven her company to a market leading position, Hilary now leads an operation which boasts a multi-million pound turnover, 100 strong membership of haulage companies and access to a pool of 7,500 trucks and 5m sq ft of warehousing.

It was Hilary’s vision, determination and courage that moulded Pall-Ex. She has taken an innovative and investment-driven approach to her business, believing that quality of service is key to continued success. In 2003 she presided over the relocation of the company to the prestigious new £12M purpose-built hub in Ellistown, Leicestershire. Hilary is a spokesperson for the transport sector, and for women in business. In addition Hilary campaigns tirelessly for various charities, including The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, for whom she became a patron in 2007.

Toni Eastwood OBE MBE
Training & Development Director, everywoman

Toni has over 20 years experience working in business development, designing and delivering training solutions, specialising in women’s development for the last eight years. She has published research on the issues and barriers women face in all sectors of the economy, including those surrounding hard to engage communities, ITEC, leadership and the glass ceiling. Toni has lead the development of organisational and Regional strategies for unlocking the potential of women, in 2007 Toni was recognised in the New Year’s honours list with an OBE for her contribution to Equal Opportunities.

Janet Entwistle
Managing Director, BT Fleet Limited

Janet Entwistle is Managing Director, BT Fleet Limited, which provides fleet management and maintenance services to some of the UK’s largest operational vehicle fleets.

Janet is a Barrister and joined BT as a Commercial Lawyer nearly 20 years ago. In 1999 she made a major change in career direction and became General Manager of BT’s in-house transport operation, swapping a small team of lawyers for around 600 vehicle mechanics. In 2001 BT Fleet was recognised for the services it provided to BT when it was named Fleet of the Year in the Fleet News Awards, the Fleet Industry ‘Oscars’

Since then, Janet has transformed BT Fleet from an in-house support services provider to BT Group into a successful fleet management company, recognised as a market leader with an industry-wide reputation for quality, integrity and value for money. Janet has successfully grown the business, with customers which include the AA, Central Networks, National Grid, Scottish and Southern Energy, British Transport Police, Group 4 Securicor and Thames Water as well as BT Group.

Janet is also an Advisory Board Member of Opportunity Now, the UK’s leading gender diversity organisation and is a National Executive Board Member of the Freight Transport Association.

Rebecca Jenkins
Sales Director UK & Ireland Wincanton

Rebecca has over 20 years experience in the logistics sector, and was Managing Director of Lane Group.

Rebecca won the title of West of England business woman of the year and was a finalist in the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year.

She is now Sales director for Wincanton following the acquisition of Lane Group and is Vice President of the Freight Transport Association.

Nikki King OBE
Managing Director, Isuzu Truck (UK) Ltd

Nikki King is the first female Managing Director of a UK commercial vehicle manufacturer, an industry traditionally dominated by men.

Well versed in the international business arena, Nikki speaks six languages, including Japanese. She was, for two years until April 2001, the Chairman of the UK Commercial Vehicle Show, one of the largest exhibitions in Europe. She continues to be an active member of the Commercial Vehicle Show Committee. She was also the first woman on the Council of the IRTE, now called the Society of Operations Engineers and has been elected as their first female Vice President. Nikki is Patron of the Cyrenians, a charity that provides support to housing homeless young people. Her most recent accolade was being awarded the OBE for services to the road transport industry in the 2002 New Years Honours List.

Terry Marsh
Director, WISE

Terry Marsh is the Director of the WISE Campaign – Women into Science, Engineering and Construction – which works creatively with education, industry and policymakers to encourage girls into careers in these areas.

After lecturing in statistics at Surrey University, Terry joined the BBC as a data analyst, moving on to produce award-winning science and technology programmes for the BBC’s Computer Literacy Project. As Head of Schools’ Programming she became a specialist in change management, diversity, and information systems, chairing the major BBC-wide project installing computers to every desktop. Subsequently she has advised on digital projects with a range of clients including Granada, Pearson, Prudential, News International and City and Guilds, also delivering two major digital education projects for the DfES.

Terry is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society, a member of the IET and the IoD, and a Visiting Fellow at Surrey University.

Rebecca Salt
SVP Corporate Communications & Strategic Marketing, DHL Logistics

Rebecca has worked in the Logistics industry with Exel and DHL for the past decade. In that time her career has focused upon providing communications and marketing support across the global business. This includes a diverse and wide range of activity and has recently included change management and supporting the business attract, develop and retain employees.

Cheryl Simons
Royal Mail
Cheryl Simons has worked for Royal Mail for the last six years as Skills Deployment Manager. She drives forward skills and qualifications for Royal Mail Group employees, including apprenticeships, NVQs and more recently foundation degrees, and was a key player last year in the company gaining a very respectable grade 2 in their OFSTED inspection only 18 months after the inception of their highly regarded Mail Services Apprenticeship scheme.

Val Smith
Managing Director, Bondelivery

Val has worked in the transport industry for the past 35 years. Since 1988 Val has run Bondelivery, a leading provider of storage and distribution services in Ireland. During her tenure Val has developed the business extensively, diversifying into new market sectors and enhancing the regional and national reputation of the company. In 2002 and 2004 Bondelivery received the Irish Logistics Provider of the Year Award at the Irish Transport Awards.

Val has had a length association with the RHA and served as National Chairman between 2003 and 2005. In 2006, Val received a special recognition award at the Irish Transport Awards for her contribution to the Industry.

Val is also a member of the board of Crimestoppers N.I.

Valerie Todd
Managing Director, Group Services Transport for London

Valerie Todd is Managing Director, Group Services, Transport for London, Europe’s largest local transport authority. Valerie is also founding President of the Women’s Transportation Seminar London, which promotes gender equality in transport. In 2007 she was appointed to the UK Commission on Skills and Employment. Valerie is also a member of the Board of London’s Transport Museum.

Lucinda Ward
Marketing & Research Director Skills for Logistics

Lucinda Ward has spent the last four years as Director of Marketing and Communications at Skills for Logistics, the Sector Skills Council for the freight logistics industries. Recently, responsibility for research has also been added to the portfolio of her department. A chartered marketer, Lucinda is responsible for getting skills messages to an audience of 196,000 companies spanning every aspect of logistics from cycle couriers to multinational 3PLs. Lucinda chairs an industry image group which works collaboratively to address image issues, diversity being an important area of focus. In partnership with the Freight Transport Association she has also organised and spoken at three conferences directed at women in the transport industries.

Jennifer Whyberd
Managing Director, Wm Armstrong (Longtown) Ltd

Jennifer is no stranger at being the woman in a man’s world. She joined her family’s haulage business, Wm Armstrong (Longtown) Ltd, shortly after leaving school in the 1970’s and after working her way through the business was appointed Managing Director in 2001. The companies, trading within the Wm Armstrong Group, which she now runs with her male sibling and cousins was established in 1927 and has a turnover of £20m employing 200 people at its Longtown and Glasgow distribution centres, and Carlisle and Glasgow truck dealerships.

Following the devastating effects of the 2001 foot and mouth disease outbreak on the company’s livestock division, Jennifer lead the business in developing the Driving Goods Vehicle Apprenticeship as a means of attracting young people into the industry. As a result the company was awarded three prestigious awards in 2005: the Training Award at the Cumbria Excellence Awards; the medium employer category at ‘The Apprentice Employer Of The Year’ Awards hosted by The Learning and Skills Council at the Park Lane Hilton in London; and the Training Award at the ‘The Motor Transport Awards’ at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane.

Jennifer’s dedication to “Grow our Own” has resulted in the business having the largest quota of apprentices for a business of its size. The Apprenticeship Scheme as part of the company’s dedication to Continuing Professional Development has been an invaluable investment in the growth of the business and its development since 2001. In recognition Jennifer was asked to join the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network to help promote the use of apprenticeships to UK business